Every city has a restaurant or food item that they are world famous for. New York City has Nathan’s Famous and the frankfurter, Philadelphia has the cheesesteak sandwich, and Chicago has the deep dish pizza. The city of Pittsburgh, however, something a little more sumptuous: the stuffed sandwich. And the best place to grab one of these is Primanti Brothers. Located in the historic Strip district of Pittsburgh, just off of Smallman Street, this restaurant has been serving up the best sandwiches in the steel city since 1933. While most places serve their sandwiches with a side of fries, this place ups the ante by stuffing fresh cut fries into the sandwich!
When this place first opened, its clientele was primarily truck drivers who delivered produce to the many warehouses along the banks of the Allegheny and Monongheala. Since they were always on the move, they didn’t have time to sit down and enjoy a full meal. The solution: put everything they love between two slices of bread, so that they could eat it even while they were behind the wheel. Over the years, business in the strip district dwindled, but service at Primanti Bros. has not let up .
When ordering a sandwich, you can choose from many different meats. From grilled ham and roast beef, to juicy pastrami and hot kolbasi. The most popular order is grilled capicola with a fried egg. After ordering, your sandwich will come filed with cole slaw, two slices of tomato, and a fistful of french fries, all served between two slices of thick, Italian bread, and served on wax paper with no utensils! And don’t think about ordering the sandwich with no slaw or fries!
No trip to Pittsburgh is complete without taking a bite out of this amazing sandwich! You’ll find a mural inside featuring faces of all the most well-known Pittsburgh celebrities, the smell of grilled meats, and scores of Steelers fans! And be sure to say hi to head chef, Toni Rolandi. With her working behind the counter at Primanti’s, she could easily be the most famous person in Pittsburgh since Mr. Rogers!
[…] of this blog probably are aware of my gastronomic encounter with the legendary Primanti’s Bros. Sandwich in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The epic, overstuffed sandwich that is capicola, cheese, […]